Super Bowl XLIV (2009): New Orleans Saints face Indianapolis Colts at Land Shark Stadium. Kickoff time: 6:31pm. Winner takes home the Lombardi Trophy. There is no next week for the loser.
Super Bowl XLIV (2009) is the season's final accounting for 2009. New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts arrive at Land Shark Stadium carrying every snap they have played since training camp. Championship games strip the rest of the schedule away; what is left is whichever team executes its identity longest under the brightest light. The narrative that wins is the one with the trophy attached. Lose, and the season collapses into a footnote no matter how it was played.
The whole league is watching New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. Two conferences have produced their finalists; the rest of the 2009 season is already in the books. The Lombardi is decided here. Every other team's offseason calendar starts the morning after this kickoff.
New Orleans Saints versus Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl XLIV (2009). The teams who reach this round have already proven they survive a long schedule; the stats that matter most now are the ones that compress: scoring differential, red-zone efficiency, turnover margin. At this stage of the year, the simple math is that defenses tighten and the team that protects the ball wins more often than the team that scores the most. Whichever side of New Orleans Saints-Indianapolis Colts cleans up the careless plays first usually walks out with the result. Conservative-game expectations should not surprise the reader; both staffs know exactly what worked all season and will lean hard on what travels. The early answer is the kicking game, where any swing of field position compounds.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 10-6 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 9-7 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7-9 | L3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 10-6 | L1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 9-7 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-7 | W3 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5-11 | W4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 14-2 | L2 |
| Houston Texans | 9-7 | W4 |
| Tennessee Titans | 8-8 | W1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 7-9 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers | 13-3 | W11 |
| Denver Broncos | 8-8 | L4 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5-11 | L2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-12 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 10-6 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 8-8 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-11 | L4 |
| St. Louis Rams | 1-15 | L8 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 11-5 | W3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11-5 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 8-8 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 4-12 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 12-4 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 11-5 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 7-9 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-14 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 13-3 | L3 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 9-7 | W3 |
| Carolina Panthers | 8-8 | W3 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-13 | L1 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 0 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 06163131 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1010171717 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Colts | Matt Stover 38 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Colts | Pierre Garcon 19 yard pass from Peyton Manning ( Matt Stover kick) | 0-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | Garrett Hartley 46 yard field goal | 3-10 |
| Saints | Garrett Hartley 44 yard field goal | 6-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | Pierre Thomas 16 yard pass from Drew Brees ( Garrett Hartley kick) | 13-10 |
| Colts | Joseph Addai 4 yard rush ( Matt Stover kick) | 13-17 |
| Saints | Garrett Hartley 47 yard field goal | 16-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | Jeremy Shockey 2 yard pass from Drew Brees ( Lance Moore pass from Drew Brees ) | 24-17 |
| Saints | Tracy Porter 74 yard interception return ( Garrett Hartley kick) | 31-17 |
| Saints | Colts | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 20 | 23 |
| Total Yards | 332 | 432 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 32/39 | 31/45 |
| Pass yards | 288 | 333 |
| Pass TD | 2 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 1 |
| Sacks taken | 1 | 0 |
| Sack yards lost | 7 | 0 |
| Net pass yards | 281 | 333 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 18 | 19 |
| Rush yards | 51 | 99 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 0 | 0 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties | 3 | 5 |
| Penalty yards | 19 | 45 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR | |||||
| Drew Brees | 32/39 | 288 | 2 | 0 | |
| IND | |||||
| Peyton Manning | 31/45 | 333 | 1 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR | ||||
| Pierre Thomas | 9 | 30 | 0 | 7 |
| Reggie Bush | 5 | 25 | 0 | 12 |
| Mike Bell | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Drew Brees | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Devery Henderson | 1 | -7 | 0 | -7 |
| IND | ||||
| Joseph Addai | 13 | 77 | 1 | 26 |
| Donald Brown | 4 | 18 | 0 | 5 |
| Mike Hart | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR | ||||
| Marques Colston | 7 | 83 | 0 | 27 |
| Devery Henderson | 7 | 63 | 0 | 19 |
| Pierre Thomas | 6 | 55 | 1 | 16 |
| Reggie Bush | 4 | 38 | 0 | 16 |
| Lance Moore | 2 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Jeremy Shockey | 3 | 13 | 1 | 7 |
| David Thomas | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Robert Meachem | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| IND | ||||
| Dallas Clark | 7 | 86 | 0 | 27 |
| Pierre Garcon | 5 | 66 | 1 | 19 |
| Austin Collie | 6 | 66 | 0 | 40 |
| Joseph Addai | 7 | 58 | 0 | 17 |
| Reggie Wayne | 5 | 46 | 0 | 14 |
| Donald Brown | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
New Orleans Saints defeated Indianapolis Colts 31-17 at Land Shark Stadium in the Super Bowl XLIV (2009). The final scoring play was Saints: Tracy Porter 74 yard interception return ( Garrett Hartley kick). Top line of the day: Peyton Manning: 333 pass yards on 31-of-45, 1 TD, 1 INT. New Orleans Saints take home the Lombardi Trophy.
New Orleans Saints walked out of Land Shark Stadium as the team that survived a Super Bowl XLIV (2009) Indianapolis Colts will replay in its head for the entire offseason. The scoreboard says 31-17. The final scoring play came from Saints: Tracy Porter 74 yard interception return ( Garrett Hartley kick). Whether it was the game-decider or just the period at the end of the sentence depends on what the camera caught earlier. New Orleans Saints hoist the Lombardi.
New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17. Round: Super Bowl XLIV (2009). Attendance: 74059. Q1: 2 scoring plays. Q2: 2 scoring plays. Q3: 3 scoring plays. Q4: 2 scoring plays. Top performers: - Peyton Manning: 333 pass yards on 31-of-45, 1 TD, 1 INT - Joseph Addai: 77 rush yards on 13 carries - Dallas Clark: 7 catches for 86 yards
Super Bowl XLIV (2009), played at Land Shark Stadium. Final: New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17, with New Orleans Saints taking the result by 14. **First quarter**
- Colts: Matt Stover 38 yard field goal - Colts: Pierre Garcon 19 yard pass from Peyton Manning ( Matt Stover kick)
**Second quarter**
- Saints: Garrett Hartley 46 yard field goal - Saints: Garrett Hartley 44 yard field goal
**Third quarter**
- Saints: Pierre Thomas 16 yard pass from Drew Brees ( Garrett Hartley kick) - Colts: Joseph Addai 4 yard rush ( Matt Stover kick) - Saints: Garrett Hartley 47 yard field goal
**Fourth quarter**
- Saints: Jeremy Shockey 2 yard pass from Drew Brees ( Lance Moore pass from Drew Brees ) - Saints: Tracy Porter 74 yard interception return ( Garrett Hartley kick)
**Top performers**
- Peyton Manning: 333 pass yards on 31-of-45, 1 TD, 1 INT - Joseph Addai: 77 rush yards on 13 carries - Dallas Clark: 7 catches for 86 yards